It is the time of the American War of Independence. Francis Jenks is fifteen and works with John Long the gamekeeper. His life changes completely when he climbs the wall of a large house to steal the apples from the orchard. Cordelia Thompson is thirteen and even though she lives in a large house and wants for nothing, she is very unhappy. Her boring and unhappy live changes in the most amazing way when she is sitting in the solarium and looks up when her pet dog growls.